


Gold In The Air Of Summer

by mybeanieandme



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Blow Jobs, Comfort, Consideration of economic class, Dating, Famous!Louis, Fluff, Gardening, Hand Jobs, SO MUCH FLUFF, lots of gardening, movies - Freeform, talk of privilege
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2016-07-19
Packaged: 2018-07-25 11:45:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7531528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mybeanieandme/pseuds/mybeanieandme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the prompt: Louis is hired to complete the landscaping for new wealthy family that has just moved into the town where he conducts his business. The couple that bought the house are traveling for the summer and have left the home repairs and upgrades to their son, Harry. Harry is a bit lost, having always had what he wanted handed to him, but his luck is running out; his parents have told him he has to find a job at the close of summer. They meet and end up helping each other in more ways than one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gold In The Air Of Summer

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Awriterwrites](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Awriterwrites/gifts).



> All of Harry and Louis's family members are made up (although slightly canon compliant.)  
> It's not been beta'd at all. Sorry for any spelling errors or grammatical problems.

It was completely normal, as far as Harry was concerned, to still be living with your parents at the age of twenty-four. It was especially normal after graduating from university with a double major in business and finance and a minor in literature. The extra major and minor had added a year and summer’s worth of work to Harry’s curriculum but now he was a year out of school and nowhere.

Initially his parents had been mildly accepting of his return home but as the months went on their patience dwindled.

As the weather had gotten warmer, and all of Harry’s mother’s friends were hosting festive spring parties. Harry had been grilled incessantly about his future plans. Would he join his father’s business? Would he take a year off abroad? Harry would respond with the diplomatic, “I’m weighing my options.”

Harry had chosen sensible topics of study. He and all his school friends had- well- all except for Niall who had chosen music, much to his parent’s displeasure. But Niall, like Harry, was part of the privileged trust-fund bracket of the university. A legacy and almost guaranteed acceptance for the hallowed halls in which he studied for five years. Niall’s choice in music had inspired Harry to take a class he’d always wanted to take, Bukowski Vs. Kerouac: Disillusionment of youth.

When asked at parties, Harry’s father never understood why Harry insisted on adding his minor when answering the question about what he studied. Literature wasn’t practical, and Harry needed practical right now.

It was nearly the first day of summer and he hadn’t bothered to get out of his bed as half past noon rolled around. He sat up slightly just enough to lean back lazily on his elbows, and surveyed his room.

There were boxes everywhere from when his family had moved in on Monday. Outside of his wardrobe which had been neatly unpacked (not by himself) into his dresser and closet, all his other earthly possessions sat neatly in the boxes the movers had put them in.

His mother had insisted he spend the next week unpacking, and his father had told him it would be the perfect opportunity to move out. Both options exhausted him and so he lay back down.

“Harry Edward Styles,” his mother’s voice rang down the hallway and suddenly Harry was vertical and pulling on a pair of pants. “You better be out of bed or I swear to-,” her voice got louder as footsteps started and then stopped at his room.

Harry had managed jeans and a t-shirt just as his mother faced him. “Morning, mum,” Harry smiled at her.

“You are up!” His mother said, “Your father owes me five quid.”

“Mum,” Harry frowned at her.

“You’ve got lunch waiting for you on the table as your eggs had gotten cold,” his mother continued. “I’m off to meet our travel advisor, tah, love.”

She moved towards him, stood on her tiptoes to kiss his forehead, and exited.

Harry sighed heavily when she was out of earshot. He briefly weighed the pros and cons of disrobing and getting right back into bed but his growling stomach made the choice for him and he headed downstairs.

For having moved in only three days ago, Harry’s mother had orchestrated an impressive amount of unpacking. There was a downstairs bathroom they were having completely remodeled, along with half the kitchen, and Harry had heard vague rumblings of them expanding the already extensive deck in the back. But outside of that, everything had a place. All the furniture his family had inherited from their great-great grandparents that was worth a near fortune in and of itself, as well as the trinkets his parents had bought from their innumerable travels, all sat amongst the perfectly designed rooms as Harry walked towards the shambles of the kitchen.

His lunch sat to the left of the head-of-the-table Harry’s usual spot when they had family meals. The table comfortably sat twelve and Harry always found it funny to be all clustered around one end. When he was seven he’d tried to convince his mother, father, and sister to all sit as far away as they could from one another one meal and try to hold a conversation. But is father had said that it was “impractical” and Harry had never brought it up again.

Lunch consisted of a Croque-Madame, a pickle, and heap of crisps. Harry wasn’t sure what exactly the connection was between the items but he ate them gratefully all the same as he surveyed the unfinished half of the kitchen, wondering when his parents would have time to finalize the plans before their trip.

His answer came a few hours later when his mother returned home from her errands. Harry had managed to do little more than go for a run, shower, and shove a few boxes around as he tried to find his favorite pair of trousers he’d drunkenly discarded their first night in the place.

“Harry,” his mother called for him from the foyer.

Harry found her there along with their family’s interior designer. The two of them had arms full of swatches and tile samples.

“Mum,” Harry greeted her. “Craig.”

“Hello, Harry,” Craig smiled broadly at him.

“What’s going on?” Harry asked and then Craig and his mother shared a look Harry did not like at all.

__

Twenty minutes later and the dinning room table was strewn with a decorating nightmare (or dream, depending on which end of the table you sat.) While Harry’s parents were away for three months in Paris, Harry himself was to be making choices and staying on top of the contractors finishing the house.

“I can’t stay on top of the contractors,” Harry frowned deeply. “I’ve got no authority over the house.”

Harry’s mother guffawed, “Harry, you’ll have the checkbook, dear. You’ll have all the authority.”

“But how will I know which designs you like?” Harry pressed.

“They’re all outlined here,” Craig slid over a blue and white-stripped binder with pink glitter letters on the cover that read “Styles’s Design Plan.” “Any questions you have can be answered in this book. All the tiles, colors, fabrics, plants, panels, and draping are all in this book.” Craig tapped the cover with two fingers.

Harry pulled the binder closer, flipping it open, the soft tap causing glitter to flicker onto the table. There were easily over fifty pages of neatly printed samples, plans, and diagrams in the book organized into sections. The first tab read “bathroom” and contained his mother’s first choice of tile for the sink backsplash, as well as the second choice should the first not be available, as well as a third choice should the second not be available. The section for the kitchen was similar but broken down farther all the way to the knobs fastened to the cabinet doors.

“Well this-,” Harry started, “I mean this seems manageable.”

A look of relief swept Craig and Harry’s mother’s faces. “We’d not leave you up the creek without a paddle, dear,” his mother nodded.

“And I’ve just- got to keep everything under control?” Harry clarified.

“Absolutely,” Craig said. “I’ll be around to help on occasion but it’s really phone calls for the most part. The contractors are scheduled over the next three weeks. You just be sure to they come to the house and do what they’re supposed to.”

“I think I can do that,” Harry said with a little more confidence in his voice.

“There you are,” Craig nodded. “You’re a bright lad.”

“Yeah,” Harry sat up a little straighter in his chair. “I can do this.”

“Excellent,” his mother beamed. “I’ll call your father.”

__

His parents left two days later early in the morning, or late in the evening depending on which way you were headed.

Harry and Niall were just coming in after the raging festivities of one of their friend’s stag party.

Niall nearly tripped over Harry’s mother’s Burberry bag but Harry caught him just in time as the driver rolled it down their driveway and into the car.

“Why are we leaving so early?” Harry’s father was complaining from the stoop.

“I want to get an early round of golf in, you know that,” Harry’s mother replied, adjusting her Titlest visor.

“And we couldn’t do that tomorrow morning?” Harry’s father yawned.

“No,” Harry’s mother answered, simple and matter-of-fact.

“Round of golf sounds good right about now,” Niall announced their presence and both of Harry’s parents turned.

“There you two are!” Harry’s mother said.

“Sorry we’re back so late. Josh wouldn’t let us leave,” Harry explained as his mother wrapped him in her arms.

“That’s quite all right, dear,” She assured him. “It’s good you still see your school friends.”

“Josh still liking his job at the firm?” Harry’s father asked and the mood dropped significantly.

“I’m sure he is,” Niall piped in, “Though he was more keen on drinking tonight than talking about that, let me tell you.”

They all shared a laugh that broke the tension but a heaviness still lingered.

“Harry,” his mother said and he did not like the seriousness of the tone. “Your father and I meant to tell you this- well- any time this past week- specifically when you were not inebriated.”

Harry raised his eyebrows at her and then turned to look at his father. “What is it?”

“You have to get a job by the time we get back,” Harry’s father said with an air that meant there was to be no argument. “Or you will be moving out.”

Harry’s mother winced, as if she would have phrased the demand more gently but their joint resolve did not waiver.

Harry felt momentarily horror stricken and sobered a little. “Why’re you telling me this just now?”

“We meant to tell you before, love, but you were so nervous about just managing the contractors I thought it might be too much for you-,” Harry’s mother started to explain.

“Piece of cake,” Niall stepped in. “He’s got the contractors, and the job search.”

The family turned to look at Niall, Harry’s mother beaming and his father looking disbelieving that Niall of all people could help his son find a job.

The matter was settled and Harry hugged his parents goodbye as the rest of their suitcases were loaded into the car. He and Niall waved them off at the bottom of the driveway before heading upstairs and falling asleep straight away on Harry’s bed unkempt, smelling of alcohol, and completely clothed.

__

The next morning Harry woke up with his arms full of Niall, his parents’ demand the evening before all but forgotten. This wasn’t the first time Harry had woken up like this with Niall and Harry was sure it wouldn’t be the last. Although Harry had never had the experience of being a parent of a young koala, he imagined it was incredibly similar to this. Soft tousled hair still full of last night’s product and a cold nose pressed to Harry’s cheek, Niall had no sense for personal space. The entire time they’d been friends everyone had suspected that Niall and Harry were together in a romantic sense as Harry had been fairly open about his bisexuality and Niall had never shown interest in actual people so much as he’d shown interest in music or golf. While neither of them way truly felt that way about the other, they let people think what they want. Because that’s what best friends did and neither of them minded. Niall had been immeasurably helpful when Harry started first questioning his sexuality, defending him against older and more intolerant boys all through secondary school. Niall wasn’t afraid to hold Harry’s hand or call his brother Greg in for backup when push came to shove.

Harry pulled away from Niall groggily. He undressed, showed quickly, and put on his short robe and pants before heading down to the kitchen. All things considered, he wasn’t as hung over as he thought he might be. Popping in a piece of toast, Harry took two paracetamol, washing them down with a glass of orange juice and two glasses of water.

The doorbell rang before Harry could butter his toast and significantly before Harry was ready to take on the day. Forgetting his toast, Harry trudged to the door.

The sun was cruelly blinding so early in the morning, maybe he was more hung over than he’d originally surmised. It took him a few moments to focus on the dark shape in front of him.

Farther away his eyes managed to focus on a truck, a large black one with a logo stamped on the side that looked like a tree and a large number 78. Immediately in front of him, he supposed, was the owner of the truck, a short man with soft feathery looking hair and a fine amount of scruff.

There was a beat in which the man seemed momentarily distracted by the fact that Harry was wearing very little in the way of clothing.

“Good morning,” the man recovered, holding his hand out for Harry to shake. “Just wanted to let you know we were here so as not to spook you.”

Harry blinked at him, motor functions not as sharp as he’d like them to have been, as the man continued talking. “We’ll try not to be too loud. We’re just going to plot out the front today.”

“I’m sorry- who’re you?” Harry scratched down his long abs as his robe fell further open.

“Louis Tomlinson? The contractor?” the man said and Harry caught his eyes flicking down.

“Are you sure about that?” Harry chuckled lightly until it hurt too much, and tilted his head into his hand.

“I’m quite sure, yes,” Louis nodded. “I’ve been asked to finish up the manscaping- er- landscaping. I’ve been asked to finish up the landscaping.”

“Did you say-?” Harry squinted.

“I didn’t,” Louis shook his head. “You know what- while I have you here. Mr. and Mrs. Styles informed me that the plans from the previous contractor would be made available. Would you happen to have those convenient?”

“Those are very large words,” Harry looked down at Louis.

“Listen, mate, I don’t know if you’re hung over, high, or both, but I’ve got a million things to do today so if-,” Louis started.

Harry scratched at the very little stubble coming in on his chin. “Hold on,” He drawled. “I do remember my mum saying something about- plots- something- it’s in drawing room.” Harry turned around, making no gesture for Louis to follow but Louis did all the same.

They walked through the very large foyer with glitteringly polished marble floors, down a hallway lined neatly with family photos, and into a room with a large bay window. Louis stopped in the threshold as Harry took the extra few paces to bend over the table and riffle through papers.

Louis made a small noise that distracted Harry from looking.

“Sorry, is something the matter?” Harry asked, turning and expecting Louis to be starting at his bum but he wasn’t.

He had moved closer to the window and was gaping at an overgrown hedge of bushes. “That’s criminal,” Louis frowned.

“Not a fan of bush?” Harry crossed his arms, leaning against the tall table.

Against the backlighting Harry could see Louis’s eyebrow quirk up curiously. “If that’s your unsubtle way of asking me if I’m gay- the answer is I am. If you’re asking if I keep myself as well kept as you do,” Louis pointed do where Harry’s neat trail of hair was brazenly trying to free itself even further from Harry’s short pair of pants. “I don’t.”

Louis’s full attention was drawn back to the window as he walked closer. He tread carefully around the expensive carpet in his relatively clean work boots and shook his head gravely.

“That gay, huh?” Harry asked and Louis gave a short chuckle. Pages rustled more and then Harry was standing beside him with a long 'roll of paper.

“Those bushes are an invasive species. Barely a bush really- they’re a nightmare for allergies and a pain to get rid of. Whoever put them there should be drawn and quartered,” Louis said matter-of-factly.

“You landscapers are brutal,” Harry said with a heavy sigh and then tapped Louis on the shoulder with the plans.

“Thanks,” Louis gripped them without looking, cast the bushes one more disparaging glance as if to set them alight with a glare, and turned his attention to Harry. “Do you always answer the door almost naked to complete strangers?”

“Only cute ones,” Harry smiled.

“Shameless,” Louis shook his head but he was smiling too. “I’ll be getting to it then.”

Harry watched him leave, wishing very much that he were the “it” that Louis would be getting to.

__

Niall was down the stairs a mere five minutes later looking bright and as fresh as a morning’s dew. He was wearing one of Harry’s Rolling Stones t-shirts and a pair of his boxer briefs. “Someone’s moving around outside in the bushes,” Niall informed Harry.

“That’s the landscapers,” Harry said as he sipped his tea and slid Niall a cup.

They shared an amicable silence as they sipped calmly and gathered their thoughts.

“Will you make me breakfast?” Niall asked.

“’Course,” Harry answered as if he’d been expecting the question sooner. “What would you like?”

“Not a lot of counter space, is there?” Niall commented as he looked around the intact part of the kitchen.

“Not particularly,” Harry shook his head. “But the stove’s working. I could make scones or something.”

“Muffins?” Niall suggested. “Oh please, Harry.” He pleaded with his wide blue eyes, though he did not need to.

“I think mum just bought some blueberries…” Harry said and stood up to check.

Twenty minutes later the muffins were in the oven and everything smelled wonderful. Niall was halfway through a fruit salad Harry had thrown together when he cleared his throat, eyes meeting Harry’s quite sincerely.

“What?” Harry asked as he stabbed a slice of banana.

“Well- speaking of your mum-,” Niall hesitated. “Are you going to look for a job like they asked you to?”

Harry blinked, owlishly at him and bits of last night came flooding back. His parents had given him an ultimatum, a job or a new place. It wasn’t like he couldn’t afford a place on his own. His trust fund near guaranteed it, barring any extravagant home purchases. Living with his parents was mostly out of habit and out of the fact that he genuinely liked to be around them. But maybe it was time to step out on his own. Or maybe- just maybe- he could find his life’s true passion.

There was a knock at the door, which meant Harry did not have to answer Niall’s question.

Harry was out of his chair in a flash, Niall watching curiously as he sped down the hall.

“Sorry to bother you again-,” Niall heard a male voice.

“It’s no trouble,” Harry replied and the tone of his voice piqued Niall’s curiosity. He slipped off his stool and crept silently down the hall, standing just out of sight.

“Planning on sleeping the day away, are you?” a tanned man with chestnut brown hair was asking Harry.

“Just making breakfast actually,” Harry replied cheekily.

“At one in the afternoon?” The man inhaled deeply. “Is that- muffins?”

“Blueberry,” Harry nodded. “I’ll bring you one later if you like- you and your-,” Harry gestured.

“Liam,” the man finished. “He’s my best mate and business partner.”

“And you’ve got him digging in the shrubs?” Harry said.

“Don’t like him all that much,” the man said, sarcasm thick in his voice. Harry laughed his flirtiest laugh. “Listen- I know I said I’d just plot the front today but those bushes have me concerned- it won’t be any trouble if I work in the back, will it?”

“Work away,” Harry made a sweeping gesture. “I’m sure the bushes will be honored to have such careful attention.”

“Not for very long,” the man stared straight through Harry with an ominous look on his face.

“All right,” Harry concluded. “I’ll bring you a snack later?”

“Looking forward to it,” the man smiled and waved. Harry shut the door.

“Who was that?” Niall asked and Harry started.

“How long have you been standing there?” Harry said.

“The whole time,” Niall smiled broadly and the oven’s timer sounded.

__

“He’s well fit,” Niall said for the fourth time around a bite of his third muffin.

“Niall,” Harry chided.

“Sorry,” Niall said, mouth still full. He made a show of smacking his lips and chewing quietly.

“He is well fit,” Harry agreed with Niall again. “But he’s still my parent’s- contractor. Like technically I sign his paycheck and isn’t that a bit weird?”

“Na-,” Niall opened his mouth but then settled for shaking his head “no.” He swallowed his bite and said, “He works for your parents! Not for you! That’s completely different. You’re fine.”

“Should I ask him out or something?” Harry wondered aloud.

“Like a proper date? Harry Edward Styles, who are you?” Niall waggled his eyebrows.

“Oh shut it, you,” Harry nudge Niall playfully with an elbow and finished his own muffin.

“I’m not letting this job thing go, H,” Niall said while Harry’s mouth was full. “But I’ll wait until you want to actually talk about it.”

Harry chewed, not meeting Niall’s gaze.

__

Harry threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before venturing outside with a plate full of muffins and two glasses of milk set on a tray. The warm afternoon was cooling off into a promising evening, sun still standing higher in the sky. That was Harry’s favorite thing about summer time, the length of the days.

He followed a neat path of what looked to be chalk that Louis and his Liam had presumably made. It redefined the edge of the grass in relation to the innumerable flower plants his mother wanted added. The path rounded the corner and Harry had not properly braced himself for what he would see.

If Louis was handsome while neat and clean, he was absolutely devastating covered in dirt and sweat. He had removed the long-sleeve denim shirt he’d been wearing when Harry had answered the door and the black t-shirt that lay beneath was clinging to his body in desirable spots. The other man, Liam, Harry guessed, had removed his shirt completely and was rather easy on the eyes as well. His hair was militaristically short on the sides while longer on top, accentuating his square jaw. He was harsh angles, a full set of abs, and the softest brown eyes Harry had ever seen.

“I brought you a snack,” Harry presented his tray once he’d found his wits. Luckily, the two men had not noticed him staring as they were hacking away at the roots of a plant. Harry finally noticed the bushes visible from the window were now strewn about on the ground, effectively murdered. Or at least as murdered as a plant could be. Louis and Liam stood among the wreckage, the sun against their backs looking like veritable gardening gods, or porn stars. Either way Harry was beginning to feel like he should be on his knees…

“Oh, cheers, mate!” Liam said looking from the tray to Louis. There was a glint in his eyes that Harry could have sworn he’d seen in Niall’s earlier. Liam removed his gloves, dropped the shovel he was holding, and stepped closer to Harry. He popped nearly a whole muffin in his mouth, washing it down with a bit of milk and moaning approvingly. “Thanks a lot, mate. Damn these are good.” He took another muffin and started to survey the ground before Louis even had a chance to grab one.

Louis’s movements were more calculated but he did eventually move closer, taking a muffin and his glass of milk. “You’re sweet for feeding us.” Louis told Harry before taking a bite of muffin. His eyes went wide momentarily before he swallowed.

“Was that-?” Harry started to ask hesitantly.

“This muffin is fucking amazing,” Louis said taking a larger bite.

“Really?” Harry beamed at him.

“Really,” Liam agreed as he snatched yet another muffin and then settled himself on the ground among the plants with his glass of milk.

Harry stood as Liam and Louis ate in a brief silence, clearly famished and incredibly thankful for the reprieve.

“You two have gotten quite a bit of work done,” Harry said, looking at the mess they’d made. “I wasn’t expected such carnage today.”

“Sorry about the branches,” Louis began to apologize.

“Don’t worry about it,” Harry waved his free hand. “You were quite serious about these bushes needing to go.”

Liam snorted on the ground and the other two looked down at him as he finished a laugh. “Once Louis gets something in his head he just can’t let it go,” Liam shrugged.

“They were near blooming, Liam,” Louis stamped his food gently. “We could just leave them here. They’d be even more of a nightmare with all the pollen.”

“That and you were feeling particularly frustrated,” Liam quirked an eyebrow at Louis. “Needed to vent some feelings.”

“Feelings?” Harry asked.

“Liam!” Louis scolded.

“Hey, Harry?” Liam stood up, brushed off his hands on his absolutely filthy pants, and grabbed another muffin, leaving only one other left for Louis. “It is Harry, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Harry nodded. “Liam?”

Liam shot an affirmative finger-gun at him, and gave him a quick head nod. “Are you busy this evening?”

“No-,” Harry said too quickly, “Why?” His eyes darted from Liam to Louis.

“Louis here has tickets to see a film tonight and I was supposed to go with him but I can’t go,” Liam told Harry.

Harry looked from Liam to Louis just in time to see a surprised look on Louis’s face.

“I’ve not been to the cinema in ages,” Harry lamented. “I’d be sure keen on going if you’d have me, Lou.” Harry clutched the tray tighter in his hands and smiled at Louis.

“Well- er- that is-,” Louis cleared his throat. “If you’re not busy- film starts at-.” Louis looked at Liam.

“Eight,” Liam supplied.

“Film starts at eight,” Louis told him.

Harry pulled his phone out of his pocket and read the screen: 4:57PM. “That’s only three hours away.”

“Too soon of notice?” Liam asked.

“Not at all- but you two are rather a mess and as keen as I am to sit next to you looking like that,” Harry drank Louis in slowly sounded as if he’d be contented to sit beside Louis no matter what state he was in. “You might want to change.”

Louis’s face colored slightly from more than just the summer’s heat. “You’re right. We’ve been working longer than I planned to anyway-,” Louis said and Liam raised an eyebrow at him. “I know! I’m sorry. I said it would only be two hours maximum.”

“It’s all right,” Liam assured him and then sniffed at his own armpit, “I’m definitely rank though. We’d best be off.” He and Louis gathered their gear quickly but carefully as they’d amassed quite a collection of sharp objects ideal for bush trimming.

Harry followed them as they walked back to the truck, single muffin still sitting on the plate on the tray. Louis placed the tools in one of the truck’s compartments and moved back over to Harry. “Shall I pick you up then?”

“That’d be mighty gentlemanly of you,” Harry grinned at him.

“Seven o clock?” Louis asked.

“Perfect,” Harry’s smile grew wider and Louis couldn’t help but reciprocate it.

“It’s not going to be weird- with me working for your parents,” Louis said.

“Niall said it was perfectly normal,” Harry stated.

“Niall-?” Louis asked.

“Present,” Niall called from the porch making both Louis and Harry jump. Liam laughed loudly from the truck.

“That’s my best friend,” Harry pointed his thumb towards Niall who was still wearing only Harry’s underwear and shirt. “He’s my Liam.”

“Ah,” Louis said and threw Niall a wave. “Good to meet you, Niall.”

“Good to meet you too, Louis Tomlinson, contractor!” Niall laughed

“Louis, we really do need to go now,” Liam called.

“He’s right,” Louis said, looking incredibly hesitant to go.

“You’ll be back for me soon enough,” Harry reminded him.

“Right you are!” Louis agreed and he turned towards the truck.

“You better bring me that last muffin, Tomlinson,” Liam followed up and Louis sighed, grabbed the muffin, and darted off.

__

Forty minutes later, Harry was out of his second shower of the day (explaining to Niall he needed a much deeper cleaning to which Niall made gagging noises in response).

He was flitting about his room throwing clothes haphazardly on the ground as he searched for the perfect outfit while Niall sat perched on his bed eating a bucket of chicken wings.

“I think he’ll like you just fine whatever you wear, H,” Niall said confidently. “You pull easy.”

“Thanks, Nialler. That’s really reassuring,” Harry called back as he pulled another identical grey t-shirt out of the closet. The doors were rattling as he rummaged around in a hurricane of clothes.

“He obviously already likes you,” Niall wiped a greasy hand on a thin paper napkin. “What with him working for your parents and all. I mean that must be weird.”

That gave Harry pause. He stood up and looked directly at Niall. “You said it wasn’t weird at all,” Harry’s voice was even more drawling than usual.

Niall plastered on a placid smile, “I mean it’s not- but it is. I mean you could get him fired probably if you wanted to. He’s got a lot more riding on his than you do.”

Harry stood up straight and fixed Niall with a look. “You know what. You’re absolutely right.”

“Feel better?” Niall chuckled.

“I genuinely do,” Harry nodded. “Does that make me a horrible person?”

Niall shrugged. “Certainly takes the pressure off.”

__

Louis arrived at three minutes to seven in a different vehicle than the one he’d been driving earlier. This one was black as well, but was a sleek Mercedes sedan. He got out of the car and Harry moved away from his spot at the window near the door.

“That’s a nice car,” Niall said as though he could read Harry’s mind.

“It is a nice car,” Harry agreed. “He must be doing well for himself, I guess.”

Niall’s eyes widened and he laughed outright. “Are you kidding?”

“What?” Harry asked. “Did I say something funny?”

“Nope,” Niall shook his head but laughed harder.

“Tell me,” Harry demanded.

“You’re just incredibly unobservant, mate,” Niall finished just as Louis knocked on the door.

Harry opened it almost immediately, Louis’s hand barely having time to move away from the deep burgundy stain.

“You changed!” Louis said and he sounded surprised. Harry had changed after finally deciding on a slouchy palm tree print Hawaiian shirt and white jeans (something for summer, he’d told Niall as Niall swapped their faces in SnapChat.)

“As did you,” Harry sounded breathless. Louis was wearing dark skinny jeans with cuffs rolled to his ankles, a smart blazer with a swoop neck shirt beneath, and thin rimmed black glasses.

“I didn’t,” Niall told the pair of them, and indeed he hadn’t. Harry and Louis both laughed at him and Niall grinned.

“You ready then?” Louis asked and he tilted his head towards the car.

“For you? Always,” Harry nodded and turned to grab his keys. He followed Louis out the door but not before leaning towards Niall.

“Feel free to spend the night but for the love of god don’t be in my room when we get back,” Harry pleaded.

“When we?” Niall raised his eyebrows. He smirked. “You very confident.”

“You’re the one who said I always pull,” Harry winked at him before turning back round and wishing he’d felt as confident as he’d sounded.

__

There was little time for conversation in the car as the theatre was a little less than four kilometers away at the open-air shopping complex. Harry had visited only once before when he’d gotten a wild hair and the Paige Jeans near is old house had not had the suede jacket he’d wanted in his size.

It looked different in the evening time, the trees lit with year-round fairy lights, and the usual teenage brigade of clientele replaced with young couples on dates and parents with exhausted children up past their bedtime.

Harry was surprised to see that Louis actually did have tickets to the film they were going to see that evening, pre-purchased. He remarked as much as they waited in line for popcorn.

“Liam is always quite serious about his films, Harry,” Louis said as they took another step closer to the till and all the jujubes that lay beyond. “Know that about him if you know nothing else.”

“Noted,” Harry nodded and they walked up to the counter.

They decided to share a bucket of popcorn and each picked a candy as Harry insisted he could never share that. Louis let Harry pick out their seats and Harry chose to sit all the way in the back, propping his feet on the seat in front of him.

“Liam must be a very nice friend to give up his tickets so we could go on this date,” Harry said, snatching a handful of popcorn.

“Is this a date?” Louis clarified.

“Definitely,” Harry nodded.

“He is a good friend,” Louis agreed. “He has been wanting to see this for ages. It’s really not my speed.”

Harry gaped at him. “You’ve not been anticipating the sequel to a beloved children’s classic for over ten years?”

“Can you call it a beloved classic if it’s only been ten years?” Louis asked and Harry hit him in the chest and did not move his hand.

“Louis,” Harry gaped. “We’ll see if you get a second date.” He said though he was smiling.

One of Louis’s hands found Harry’s knee and it did not move until the film was over.

__

They left the theatre arm in arm.

“So. What’d you think?” Louis asked once they were back in the car.

“I think-,” Harry said as he reclined the passenger seat a little further back, folded his hands on his lap, and looked thoughtfully at the ceiling. “That those tickets definitely were never intended for us and that Liam, as a full grown man, chooses to see films intended for children late at night so there are less children present.”

“We’re quite silly, aren’t we?” Louis chuckled at Harry’s summation.

“Why’s that?” Harry laughed along.

“We could have easily just- gone to see another film,” Louis explained.

“But we were playing a game,” Harry said. “And Liam would’ve been devastated if he’d given up his tickets and we’d not gone.”

“Different film on the second date?” Louis suggested.

“Hm,” Harry scrunched up his face. “Maybe the third date. Second date we should probably go to dinner or something.”

“Well- it’s ten PM. The second date could start now,” Louis said and in his voice there was a challenge.

“I know this Italian place,” Harry sat up a little more.

“Lead the way.” Louis started the car.

__

The restaurant was double the distance than the theater but they managed to get there just in time to order a plate of cannoli and two decaf cappuccinos. It wasn’t exactly dinner but Louis acquiesced that it could still count as a second date.

The waiter brought their food and they thanked him heartily, Harry feeling peckish despite his hearty serving of popcorn and jelly babies. Louis yawned as he brought his cappuccino to his mouth and Harry frowned.

“Bored of me already?” Harry asked and he was only half kidding.

“Oh yes,” Louis nodded, “With your nudity and your feminist readings of a movie about a fish. I’m plenty bored.”

Harry chuckled a bit. “You’ve got to admit- the Bechdel test is an important key to any film.”

“The fact that you could explain it in the short time in the car and so many films don’t pass it is really a shame,” Louis agreed.

“I knew that Women’s Lit class would be mighty useful in the future,” Harry grinned and took a swig of his coffee. He pulled the cup away revealing a large foam mustache, which made Louis giggle. It was possibly the cutest sound Harry had ever heard.

“Bet that’s more mustache than you’ve ever grown in your life,” Louis said as he jammed his fork into a crunchy buttery cannoli shell.

“Heeeey,” Harry frowned deeply at him. “I’ll have you know I’ve worked up to three whole hairs.”

Louis threw his head back and laughed heartily.

“That’s near insulting laughter, that! I bet you can’t grow a beard all that well either,” Harry challenged.

Louis sat up and looked him straight in the eye. “I grow a wicked beard.”

Harry gulped and he felt heat flicker in his lower stomach. The thought of any level of scruff on Louis made him tingle in places he hadn’t felt in quite a while. That, coupled with those glasses, it’d be the professor fetish he’d tried to ignore he’d had his whole time in university (though at that time there was hardly a professor worthy of lusting over.)

Louis tried to stifle a second yawn.

“Am I really boring you?” Harry asked, concern genuine this time.

“No,” Louis assured him. “I’m just never up this late. I run a business, you know.”

“I do know,” Harry nodded and he took his first bite of cannoli.

“What about you? Do you work?” Louis asked.

A knot formed in Harry’s stomach and he nodded slightly and then shook his head. “I recently graduated from University. And I’ve been trying to find a place- but nothing’s felt right.”

Louis raised an eyebrow.

“What?” Harry questioned.

“It’s nothing,” Louis shook his head and took a sip of his coffee.

“Tell me,” Harry nearly demanded and then softened his voice. “Please?”

“That’s just- a very privileged way of looking for a job is all,” Louis said.

Harry tilted his head. “Is it?”

“It is,” Louis laughed a bit humorlessly.

“I’ve never really thought about it that way-,” Harry looked contemplative. “But you’re right.”

“What’s the hold up?” Louis asked.

“Well- everyone thinks I should do the practical thing and join my father’s business but. I took this creative writing class. I’ve got a writing minor- actually.”

“Ah,” Louis nodded sagely. “You hope that might be your path, then?”

“Maybe,” Harry nodded but shrugged. “I’m genuinely not sure. I’d be up for anything as long as I felt passionate about it.”

“That makes two of us then,” Louis said and he raised an eyebrow and he definitely wasn’t talking about possible vocations for Harry any longer.

__

Louis pulled up to Harry’s house and parked the car.

Harry turned to him to start that brief but flirty game of inviting Louis in but Louis was already unbuckling his seatbelt.

“I’m walking you to the door,” Louis explained and when Harry had made a face conveying everything he was thinking.

“Oh!” Harry said as he regained his composure. “Of course!”

They made pleasantries as they walked to the door, talking about what good a time they had until Harry could stand it and pressed Louis up against the door as soon as he’d made it up the last step.

Louis’s lips were thin and warm, tasting faintly of coffee. Harry wanted devour him whole. “Would you like to come in?” Harry asked as he fumbled for the house keys in his pocket.

Louis nodded fervently as their lips met again.

__

They were naked as they finally made it to Harry’s room. Niall, bless him, was nowhere to be seen but had apparently taken the time to reorganize Harry’s closet.

Harry laid Louis out on the bed, kissing down his neck and straddling his hips. He leaned back to drink Louis in but then couldn’t help but giggle.

“What’re you giggling about?” Louis asked and his crinkle-eyed smile turned slightly dopey.

“Stay on top of the contractors,” Harry pressed a kiss to the tip of Louis’s nose.

“What?” Louis’s eyes crossed as he tried to look at Harry.

“Mum told me to stay on top of the contractors and- well-,” Harry said and he moved his kisses to Louis’s left nipple.

Louis let out a short laugh and said, “Can we please not talk about your mum with your tongue that close to my-.”

Louis’s sentence was swallowed in a soft moan as Harry nipped gently at the puckered flesh.

Harry’s ministrations trailed down until they reached the hairs at the base of Louis’s cock. Louis hummed and gasped his approval until Harry grasped his cock.

Harry glanced up and Louis- was asleep.

There was nothing Harry could do to rouse him, but in all honesty he did not try very hard. As much as he greatly desired to give Louis a blowjob, Louis was genuinely exhausted. He looked so peaceful, hair fanned out against the pillow and his glasses askew on his face as one of the stems set them at an awkward angle.

Harry removed them and set them on his nightstand before pulling the covers up around himself and Louis.

He kissed Louis’s forehead, nestled in, and fell asleep.

__

Harry woke up with his arms full of sweaty spindly arms and he knew at once it was Niall.

“Where’s Louis?” Harry asked sleepily, eyes still closed, though there was an edge to his voice as if to suggest Niall had done something nefarious.

“Left early this morning,” Niall answered and Harry felt Niall’s hot breath against his chin.

“Why are you so close to me?” Harry opened an eye and peered down at a mop of artificially blond hair.

“Louis asked me to keep you company. Didn’t want you to wake up alone. I suspect he was a bit embarrassed after last night,” Niall said and he nestled in closer to Harry’s chest.

“Why was he embarrassed?” Harry asked and his heart started racing with worry.

“Well- at first I think he thought I’d overheard you two getting it on- as he hadn’t known I was still here and he was apologizing something fierce for all the noise. But I told him his snoring wasn’t all that bad. Definitely nothing compared to yours. And he seemed a bit confused. So I told him apart from some aggressive making out it sounded like you two felt straight to sleep,” Niall finished and Harry felt his eyelashes against his neck.

“He did fall to sleep. Not had blue balls like that in a while,” Harry lamented.

“Sorry, mate,” Niall said.

“No trouble. I want him conscious, consensual, and awake when I give him the best blowie of his life,” Harry told Niall and the two fell back to sleep.

__

Louis arrived later at his scheduled work time with a bag of bagels and a cappuccino for Harry. Harry answered the door in a similar outfit to the one he’d been wearing when they’d first met.

An apology formed on Louis’s lips but Harry pulled him inside and kissed him before he could say anything. Harry shut the door and pressed Louis against it, kissing him fiercely.

“Good morning-,” Louis managed finally as Harry pulled away for breath.

“I want to blow you,” Harry answered as way of reply.

“O-okay-,” Louis nodded and Harry dropped to his knees.

“H-Harry-,” Louis hesitated, gripping the bag of bagels and coffee more tightly in his hands but Harry was already unzipping his jeans and hiking his pants down just far enough.

“Hello, friend,” Harry cooed at Louis’s cock.

Louis glanced down and nearly laughed but Harry started stroking him to hardness and his brain momentarily short-circuited. Harry suckled Louis’s tip and Louis moaned.

“That’s it,” Harry sighed, still talking to Louis’s cock as it started to curve up nicely. “Wanted so badly to do this last night.”

“S-sorry,” Louis panted, his grip on the coffee becoming more perilous.

Harry shook his head and looked up at Louis through his eyelashes, the tip of his tongue just against Louis’s tip. “Don’t be. It’ll be better like this. Want you awake and ready to feel everything.”

And then he swallowed most of Louis’s length and Louis squeezed the coffee hard enough for the lid to pop off.

__

“I’m so sorry,” Louis apologized again as Harry set the butter and a freshly toasted bagel in front of him. After successfully spilling coffee all over the entryway, but more importantly, successfully giving Louis an outstanding blowjob, the pair had made their way to the kitchen. They sat at the two barstools at the end of the counter that was still intact, sipping tea and listening to the toaster fizzle.

“Lou, it’s all right,” Harry reassured him. “I’ll clean it up after breakfast. I shouldn’t have jumped you. Or in the very least I should have let you set everything down.”

“It was a beautiful cappuccino. I watched the barista froth the foam and everything,” Louis said as he spread the butter across his bagel.

“I’m sorry I ruined it,” Harry leaned towards him and kissed his forehead.

“It was worth it,” Louis told him and met Harry’s lips for a proper kiss.

Harry beamed at him. Once the lid had fallen off the cup, hot foam had dripped to the floor; both parties seemed not to have noticed at the time as Harry had had Louis nearly purring with pleasure.

Their pleasantries were interrupted by another knock at the door. Louis’s face flushed a bright red as realization dawned.

“Liam-,” Louis said, standing up with his bagel halfway to his mouth.

He rushed to the door, Harry following after him.

Liam was, indeed, on the other side standing with a very pretty girl who was not there yesterday.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting-,” Harry heard Louis say as he caught up to him.

“Once I realized you weren’t just ‘popping in’,” Liam said, using both his middle and index fingers as in-air quotation marks, “I decided to go get coffee for myself along with Perrie who showed up two minutes after you went inside.”

“Right-,” Louis nodded, clearly flustered. “Good work, you two.”

The girl- Perrie- and Liam shared a look and decided mutually to drop the subject.

“Let me just- I’m-,” Louis was holding onto his bagel as if it were his only lifeline.

“We’re just finishing up breakfast- if you’d like a bagel,” Harry offered.

Perrie opened her mouth but Liam cut her off, “We’re all right, but thanks, mate.” He seemed genuinely amused by the entire situation. “We’re going to start marking the backyard for the deck expansion.”

“Good plan,” Louis nodded. “I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

“Right on, boss man,” Perrie said and gave him a little salute.

Harry shut the door after them and Louis turned to lean against it, head drooped and sighing heavily. “Christ.”

“She seems nice,” Harry smiled. “Have you got quite a few people that work for you, then?”

Louis’s mood changed almost instantly as he groaned but then let out a high laugh. Harry didn’t understand as Louis glanced at his face as if to check if he were serious.

“Enough people that this is so incredibly embarrassing and unprofessional of me,” Louis said.

“I’m sorry, Lou,” Harry started but Louis waved his hand dismissively.

“It’s all right. I’ll make it up to them.” Louis said.

“If I can help in anyway,” Harry offered, taking a step closer towards him.

Louis placed a hand on Harry’s hip and squeezed. “That’s sweet of you, H. But I’ve got it under control.” He took a deep breath and laughed again, this time at himself. “You just- make me want to do crazy stuff. Make me feel like a kid again.”

Harry grinned broadly at the sincerity in his voice. “You’re not that old, Lou.”

“Still too old to be staying up past midnight apparently,” Louis sighed heavily. “I best get back to them.”

“I’ll see you later?” Harry asked, voice hopeful.

“Just look out your bedroom window,” Louis gave him a wink and headed out the door.

__

Cleaning the foyer was less work than Harry had expected. Three Swiffer pads later (two wet, and one dry) Harry was up in his bedroom putting on proper clothes as Niall was updating his twitter followers on some of his musical progress on Harry’s laptop.

“Are you ever going home?” Harry asked as he buttoned the fly of his jeans.

“You don’t want me to,” Niall answered, not looking away from the screen.

“That’s true,” Harry agreed. His phone buzzed from its place on the dresser and Harry checked. It was an alarm his mother had sent from her email to his as a reminder to keep abreast of the house. He had to call the kitchen contractor to double check their appointment next Monday. Harry would do this- eventually today. He set the alarm to sound in another 40 minutes and turned his attentions back to Niall.

“Niall- do you think I’m privileged?” the question was out of his mouth before he could second-guess himself.

Niall snorted as way of response, upon realizing the question wasn’t rhetorical he turned the computer chair around to look at Harry. He was wearing a bemused grin as if unsure how to answer. “What do you mean, H?”

“Look- I know-,” Harry ran his fingers through his hair, scratching down the shaven sides. “I know that I’m well off- and male- and white- and I went to the best university-.” He paced his room and his words trailed off as if answering his own question.

Niall raised an eyebrow at him and nodded twice. “What’s got you asking this, exactly?”

“It’s something Louis said at dinner last night,” Harry explained.

Both of Niall’s eyebrows shot into his hairline before he trained his face into a more neutral expression as if urging Harry to go on, which he did.

“He asked me if I worked and I told him I was looking for the perfect fit. Something that I really love,” Harry explained. “And he told me it was privileged- looking for a job like that. Like I’ve got time to shop around.”

“Well it’s certainly a luxury to be able to shop around,” Niall nodded. “Like- I’m working on my music most of the time, and I’m mighty grateful I’ve got five square meals and a roof over me head.”

Harry grew very quiet and Niall took that at his cue to let Harry ruminate. He turned back towards Harry’s computer.

“Hey, Ni,” Harry said and waited for Niall to turn back around to look at him before he continued. “You want to go to the park or something? Get out of here?”

“Yeah, definitely,” Niall nodded and got up to look for something in Harry’s closet to wear.

__

Niall and Harry waved to Louis and his crew as the headed out calling, “If you need anything give us a ring, yeah?”

The park was a good distance walk and the fresh air was nice, today promising to be much hotter than yesterday. The walk to the park was Harry’s first real opportunity to look at the neighborhood they’d moved into. It was modest for a collection of millionaires’ estates. The houses seemed just big enough on large sprawling lots with beautiful landscaping and immaculate lawns.

“This’ll be a nice place to run,” Harry commented as the park grew ever nearer.

“Definitely,” Niall agreed. “Even. And there’s lots to see.”

Harry couldn’t tell if Niall was joking as he was looking straight at his phone and there wasn’t honestly much to see. There were a fascinating number of plants and quite a few of those bushes that Louis had railed against yesterday. Most houses had those bushes, actually, with the exception of two that Harry noticed. Those houses, he thought, at the best landscaping of all. They were neat and not too garish, the plants carefully chosen to go along with the mood or theme of the house. In the corner, near the edge of the grass there where it met the driveway, there was a small flat stone with a “78” marked on it.

Then it dawned on him. “Hey, Niall,” Harry said and stopped walking so that Niall walked directly into him.

Without missing a beat Niall said, “Yeah, H?”

“Do you think Louis landscaped these houses as well?” Harry pointed to two houses sitting right beside one another.

Niall gave the houses and appraising look. “I think it’s entirely possible, yes.”

__

The park was breezier than the neighborhood had been but it was still hot. Harry decided he and Niall definitely deserved a Popsicle for all of their efforts. They sat at one of three small collapsible metal tables near a small ice-cream cart and ate their snacks, Niall still completely absorbed with his phone.

Harry sighed and took out his own phone along with a slip of paper from the binders that contained all of the contractors phone numbers.

He glanced at the name next to “kitchen repair” some man called James. And then his eyes flicked one line lower to “landscaping” where Louis’s name and number sat.

_Hope you’re not mucking up the backyard too terribly. xx_

Harry sent off a quick text to Louis and programmed his name into his phone. He quickly dialed the number above before Louis had a chance to reply and before he could contemplate how stupid he sounded.

The other contractor, James, was jovial over the phone and Harry liked him immediately. He was all set for Monday and started asking Harry questions about materials he might bring along but Harry told him he’d have to call him back later if that was all right. James said that it was, of course.

When Harry hung up his phone buzzed immediately with a response.

**Well. Someone left us unsupervised. You know cats away and mice and all that.**

Harry beamed at his phone. He also liked Louis a great deal but in a decidedly different way than James.

_Are you texting on the job now?_

Harry worried very briefly if he’d stepped over a line and how far he could push the fact that his parents had actually hired Louis to do a job.

**Not too worried about it. Think the kid of the people that own the place might fancy me or something. Think I got some leverage.**

_I have it on good authority that you are correct._

Harry had been smiling giddily at his phone for so long he had not noticed the remaining few bites of his ice cream bar had dripped onto the table and parts of his lap. When he felt eyes on him, he looked up to see Niall about to collapse in a fit of silent giggles.

“Can’t take you anywhere, mate,” Niall said.

Harry sighed heavily and stood up. “Let’s just go back.”

They walked the longer way home to completely a loop halfway through the park. Harry noticed a split in the sidewalk where a long temporary fence had been placed around a larger area of dilapidated looking playground equipment. Green signs sat affixed directly in the middle of the space between the fence posts at even intervals every other section of fence.

“Seventy-eight,” Harry stopped mid-step and Niall narrowly avoided running into him a second time.

Niall looked up from his phone and followed Harry’s gaze.

“This is like the logo on Louis’s truck,” Harry said.

“Well- yeah,” Niall glanced back to his phone.

“Does- is he contracted to do the entire park?” Harry asked.

Niall shrugged but added. “I think there was something in the paper about it- something big about the county hiring a private contractor to redo most of the local parks. Josh’s mom was having a strop about it.”

Harry raised an eyebrow. “When were you talking to Josh’s mom?”

“When she crashed his stag-do at the first bar and we had to move it to the second,” Niall stated plainly. “You could probably ask Louis about this park thing- if your mouth isn’t too busy being occupied otherwise.”

Harry cuffed him on the back of the head and Niall ran back to Harry’s house laughing all the way.

__

When they finally reached Harry’s, Louis was gone.

Harry tried, unsuccessfully, to hide his disappointment as Liam and Perrie were sat digging the in the dirt.

“Sorry, Harry,” Liam said, wiping his forehead on the back of his thick leather work glove. “He got a call at the office. It was urgent. He really didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.”

Perrie crossed her heart and nodded. “He said he’d call you later,” she added with a grin.

“Cool,” Harry said and narrowly avoided skipping into the house like a lunatic.

__

Louis called just after Harry had finished cleaning up the dinner he’d made for himself and Niall. Having eaten fit to burst, Niall decided it might be time to actually go home and put on a pair of pants that did not belong to Harry. He left Harry with a wink and a promise to see him sometime the next day but on no real schedule.

The phone rang while Harry’s hands were soapy so it went almost to voicemail but Harry caught it just in time.

“Hello,” Harry greeted brightly and he heard Louis heave a sigh of relief.

“You’re not cross with me then?” Louis asked.

Harry chuckled, “Not at all. Why? Should I be?”

“Well- no- but-,” Louis huffed, “I just left without saying goodbye after this real cute guy gave me this fantastic blowie. I didn’t ever have the chance to reciprocate because a work thing came up.”

“You can make it up to me at some point,” Harry suggested.

“Definitely,” Louis agreed with a hint of giddiness in his voice.

“Did the work thing turn out all right?” Harry asked.

“Huh? Oh- yes-,” Louis answered earnestly, voice growing distant for a second and Harry thought he heard papers rustling on the other end of the phone. “It was a budget issue with this contract. It’s one of the largest projects we’ve taken on and I want everything to be perfect.”

“That sounds incredibly important,” Harry said and he thought about the fence he’d seen at the park, and the other houses in his neighborhood.

“It is,” Louis murmured. “I need everything to be perfect.” He repeated as if saying it aloud would make it so.

“Do you- like gardening a lot, Louis?” Harry asked in his softest voice and he wandered from the kitchen and up to his bedroom to lie down. He half expected Louis to laugh at him but Louis wasn’t quiet as if he was thinking very hard on his response.

“I didn’t-,” Louis replied. “I didn’t at first but now I can’t imagine my life without it.”

“It’s your passion?” Harry’s voice was full of mirth and a reminiscence of their conversation just the evening before.

“It is my passion,” Louis agreed. A voice that sounded very much like Liam’s came low across the other line, Louis’s voice called back sounding somewhat startled.

“I’m so sorry, Harry. Liam’s just shown up- there’s something-,” Louis said, “Get off me- you- oaf!” Louis laughed. Then Louis’s voice was muffled as if his hand was over the receiver. Harry could tell by his tone that it was something serious.

“Harry- I’ve got to go,” Louis addressed him again. “I’ll make it up to you. I promise. Come by my office tomorrow for lunch? My treat?”

“I’ll be there,” Harry said and the line beeped silent.

Harry set the phone on his chest trying not to feel too disappointed. He’d only met the man yesterday, after all. Louis didn’t actually owe him anything. Part of him was comforted by the fact that Louis wanted to see him as much as he wanted to see Louis. Something resolved in Harry’s brain and he turned over onto his side to reach inside his nightstand. Hand rummaging past the condoms, lube, dildoes, and ample hair ties from his previous haircut until his fingers found the worn leather cover of the journal he was looking for.

It had been a present from Niall once he’d finally let himself take that writing class. Niall was so exceedingly proud of him, he’d given it to him the next day with the words “Don’t live up to what people expect you to be” written on the first page.

Harry had filled it with everything from poetry to short stories to shopping lists. It was a stream of conscious thought and inspiration from his final year of college and yet it sat predominantly untouched until now.

He opened to a clean page, grabbed a pen from his bedside table, and began to write.

__

Louis did not show up the next morning, although, Harry supposed he should not have expected him to. Harry had been promised lunch and Harry could be patient. The crew that did arrive was larger than yesterday’s with Perrie at the helm. There were four of them, four stunningly gorgeous women who were destroying Harry’s parent’s lawn with the fury of angry lionesses. It was difficult not to watch them from the window as they worked. They were methodical and it was alluring. If they felt him staring, they paid him no mind. A twinge of guilt panged through Harry’s chest. Perhaps they were constantly objectified and stared at like this and he was just adding to the male gaze. He drew himself away from the window to finish his breakfast and continue writing.

Niall showed up an hour before Louis had texted for Harry to be at his office, finding that Harry had given up on both writing and not watching the girls work. Indeed, Harry had committed himself to openly watching, moving to sit on the front steps, bringing the girls a large pitcher of water and a bunch of grapes as pence for his gazing.

“What’s going on out here?” Niall asked, taking his place beside Harry on the top most step.

Harry wrung his journal in his hands, eyes not moving away from Perrie who’d started to decimate a dead tree-root. “Perrie’s brought- Leigh-Anne, Jade, and Jesy to clean up the lawn before they start replanting,” Harry answered, gesturing to the girls in turn as he said their names.

Niall gave the women a fleeting glance before noting Harry’s journal and striking Harry on the knee. “Ey, ey, mate!” He hooted.

Harry’s eyes went wide, staring at Niall nervously as if he might have broken the girl’s concentration. The idea was stupid as Harry was sure there was nothing short of a nuclear blast that could do so.

“You’ve started writing again,” Niall pressed on, shaking Harry’s knee now.

“I have,” Harry agreed and he held the journal closer to his chest.

“I’m proud of you, H,” Niall beamed at him. “What’s got you inspired?” Niall’s eyes followed Harry’s as if that would give him the answer.

“Louis,” Harry muttered before picking up a grape and plopping it into his mouth.

Niall nodded sagely. “Ah, yes. L’amour.”

Harry started at that. “No one said it was love.”

Niall raised a skeptical eyebrow and followed Harry’s lead with the grapes, taking a bunch in his hand and shoving them all in his mouth.

Harry’s phone buzzed indicating it was time for him to leave, lest he be late.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Niall smirked as he saw the title of the alarm “Lunch date with Lou (heart emoji) (peach emoji).”

__

The location of Louis’s main office building was written in the binder his mother and Craig had given him. Harry must have saved it in his phone six times that morning just to be sure the distance and how long it might take, leaving earlier than he needed to in case of traffic he might hit in the middle of the afternoon.

He arrived five minutes early to a large beautiful office building designed to look like 60’s retro pastiche. Hoping it was all right; he parked in a “visitor” parking spot and exited with his writing journal in hand. The interior decorating was impeccable, a midcentury modern that accented the large glass walls and walnut colored wood. There was an extensive collection of plants that Harry wasn’t even aware could be kept inside. He supposed that would be something Louis would know.

The woman at the front desk beckoned him forward as his eyes finally landed on her. “Welcome to 78 Landscaping. Can I help you with something, sir?” She asked politely.

“I’m- er- I’ve got an appointment,” Harry started.

“With our design department?” The woman questioned, her hands reaching immediately for a thick binder that read “Design Consultations.”

“Oh- no! It’s with Louis- Tomlinson?” Harry answered feebly.

The woman’s eyebrow’s shot into her hairline and she barely hid a smirk. “You’re him then?”

“Pardon?” Harry’s eyebrows furrowed.

Another woman walked over to the desk with a stack of papers for the first. They looked like they could be sisters. “Lou asked us to double check this again-,” said the newcomer and the woman at the desk gestured minutely with her head. “What?”

“This is Louis’s lunch date,” the woman at the desk grinned, not bothering to lower her voice or be subtle at all.

“Oh!” the other woman immediately gave Harry an appraising look. “He’s quite cute.”

Harry’s face heated slightly. He was feeling quite cute in his black jeans and button-gaping maroon plaid shirt. “T-thank you?” Harry replied like they weren’t speaking about him like he wasn’t there. He ducked his head and flushed a bright red as they continued.

“And tall,” said the woman behind the desk.

“Louis likes tall. His eyes are so sweet!” the other replied.

“Yes-,” A male voice cut through their chatter and Harry looked up as the women fell silent. “His eyes are very kind.”

Louis was there, standing in a suit that had Harry’s knees nearly buckling. With his hair slicked back and next season’s Prada glasses perched on his perfect nose he looked distinguished and so beautiful Harry could cry.

“Hello, Harry,” Louis gave Harry a reserved smile that shone through his eyes.

“Hi, Lou,” Harry’s smile reveled his dimple.

“My meeting ran a few minutes over otherwise I’d’ve been here earlier,” Louis told him. “Saved you from these two and their gossip brigade.”

“It’s all-,” Harry started to say but the gossip brigade scoffed loudly.

“You’re so mean, Lou,” said the woman at the desk. “We don’t gossip that much.”

Louis raised his eyebrows and they both let out nervous chuckles.

Harry watched with curiosity of the familiarity between them.

“Harry, these are two of my sisters. Gina and Rosie,” Louis introduced them as recognition dawned on Harry’s face.

“It’s lovely to meet you,” Harry reached out to shake both of their hands.

“Good to meet you too,” Rosie said. “Louis can’t stop talking about you.”

“Oh-,” Harry blushed.

“You ready for lunch?” Louis asked and he grabbed Harry’s elbow before he could answer.

With the amount of work Louis had Harry should have known that they would not be heading out of the office for lunch. Indeed, Louis lead them through a neatly organized open floor plan with shiny computers and well-dressed employees. “How many sisters do you have?” Harry asked as they passed by Liam’s desk, Harry waved and Liam, not looking at all surprised to see Louis tugging Harry along, waved back.

“Five,” Louis answered. They arrived at what Harry assumed to be Louis’s office. Unlike most of the rest of the place, he had walls on all sides, which Harry assumed were for privacy. On the far side sat a modest size desk but most of the room was taken up with, what could only be described as, a garden.

“Sorry about that-,” Louis started but Harry was not available. He was turning in a slow circle to admire all the different flowering plants and the atmosphere they created within the room.

“It’s beautiful,” Harry said finally after his third full turn. His eyes came to rest finally on Louis’s face.

Louis was smiling broadly at him, eyes crinkled behind his glasses. “You’re a strange cat.”

“You’re one to talk. Office full of plants,” Harry replied.

“I run a landscaping company,” Louis raised an eyebrow and Harry kissed him.

The kiss spoke volumes and also stated quite succinctly. “Finally.”

Louis pulled back first after unsuccessfully trying to grab the hand in which Harry held his journal. “Sorry-,” Louis said, patting the journal instead and reaching for Harry’s hip.

“Stop apologizing,” Harry spoke gently against his lips. “You’ve nothing to apologize for.”

“All I can think about is kissing you,” Louis said, squeezing Harry’s side gently.

“Glad we’re on the same page,” Harry nodded slightly and then kissed Louis again, deeper this time. He dropped his journal on the ground and his hands found purchase on Louis’s lower back.

Louis guided Harry’s hands lower and Harry squeezed his bum gratefully as Louis let out of soft sigh. Harry immediately wished his pants weren’t so tight as he hoisted Louis up and carried him until he was sitting on his own desk. They kissed in earnest, hands everywhere and lips glistened with a sloppy sheen.

“You’re hard,” Louis stated as he moved a hand to grip Harry through his jeans.

“Astute,” Harry gasped as Louis ran his knuckles along the length.

Their eyes met, Louis’s looking imploringly. Harry nodded slightly, unsure exactly what he was agreeing to. Nimbly Louis unbuttoned Harry’s jeans and fished his cock out, stroking with just the right amount of pressure.

Harry’s eyelashes fluttered before his eyes slammed closed, focusing all his energy in not falling over. He felt Louis tug at part of his shirt, sliding the fabric over so he could suck a mark on Harry’s chest where it’d be more difficult to see.

It was over embarrassingly fast as Harry bucked into Louis’s perfect grip, hips stuttering as he came. Harry opened his eyes quickly as the setting came rushing back to him. Louis seemed to be on top of things as he’d snatched a tissue from his desk and unceremoniously covered the tip of Harry’s cock.

“Quick thinking,” Harry panted and his eyes roamed, however briefly, Louis’s still immaculate suit.

“Thanks,” Louis smirked, looking up at Harry through his long eyelashes.

“Fuck,” Harry’s voice was quiet and rough and he kissed Louis again because he couldn’t stand not to. “The things I want to do with you.”

“Mm,” Louis hummed his agreement. As Harry pulled away to button up his pants he let out a giggle. “I can’t believe I just did that with you in my own office.”

Harry grinned along. “It- it’s all right- right?”

Louis nodded emphatically. “Bit dangerous as I sure as hell didn’t lock the door when we came in.”

“I’m a bit of an exhibitionist anyway,” Harry’s smile turned challenging.

“Good to know,” Louis said and leaned his forehead against Harry’s chest.

“Should I do you?” Harry asked, hand already reaching for Louis’s trousers.

Louis giggled lightly. “Let’s save that for later, yeah? I want to do more with you than exchange rushed hand jobs in a nosy office.”

“Yeah, all right,” Harry agreed and tried to not look too excited.

“And lunch might get cold,” Louis nuzzled one last time into Harry’s neck before hopping off his desk.

“Lunch!” Harry said as if he’d forgotten.

In the middle of Louis’s office garden sat a small picnic blanket with a wicker basket on top. Harry was so hopelessly endeared and he wondered how he hadn’t immediately seen this upon entering the room. They started walking towards it but not before Louis reached down for Harry’s journal. “I’ve got one that looks just like this,” Louis said.

“Do you?” Harry asked and Louis nodded. “Clearly Niall has excellent taste.”

Louis smiled and set Harry’s journal on his desk before heading over to take a seat beside Harry on the blanket.

Harry sniggered as he opened the basket. “Lunch might get cold?”

“Oh- right,” Louis acted surprised as Harry pulled out several trays of sushi. “Hope you like sashimi.”

“Love it,” Harry grinned.

“Thought you might,” Louis said as he pulled apart a set of chopsticks and grabbed a plate.

“I didn’t realize- how big your company was,” Harry confessed as Louis extracted a small bottle of sake just large enough for them to have a cup each.

“Hm,” Louis chuckled. “It was refreshing actually for you to be oblivious.”

“Niall called me that as well. Now I feel stupid,” Harry pulled his knees into his chest as he nimbly selected his next piece of sushi.

“You’re not stupid,” Louis assured him. “You’re just- not a fan of American HGTV or anything. It’s nice.”

“HGTV?” Harry looked bewildered and Louis set about to explain how he’d built his landscaping empire.

Louis had followed his then boyfriend to Los Angeles after they’d both finished University as Louis, much like Harry, had not known what he wanted to do with his life. Two weeks in Louis’s boyfriend had broken up with him. Finding it difficult to get a work visa, Louis had taken up landscaping for cash. One day he’d landed a job of tending to the lawn of a television producer and the rest was history. He’d been hired on as a pretty face for a show about swapping yards with your neighbors and making them over. Two seasons into the show, Louis’s mother had gotten horribly sick and he’d needed to quit to come home. Louis had found his fame had followed him over seas and people were requesting that he remake their lawns like they’d seen him do on television.

“That’s how I built my company- word of mouth- at first people just wanted the story of a former ‘celebrity’ doing their lawn but then it became more than that,” Louis smiled, eyes gleaming with pride. “They actually really liked my designs and word of mouth grew. Now I’ve got a two year waiting list.”

“Christ,” Harry gaped. Harry wasn’t sure he’d closed his mouth the entire story. “How on earth did my mother book you?”

Louis raised his eyebrows, “I tell you all that, and that’s what you want to know?”

“No-,” Harry shook his head. “I’m sorry. That’s amazing, Louis! And your- your mom. Is she all right?”

“She’s in full remission,” Louis nodded; his arms were wrapped around his knees as he pulled them into his chest looking so incredibly vulnerable. “I’m so proud of her and her strength.”

Harry slung an arm around Louis, and kissed his forehead because it felt like the right thing to do. Louis eased into the hold and they sat there quietly for a moment.

“Craig was an intern on set. So I have slots open for his clients,” Louis said quietly.

“What?” Harry said into Louis’s hair.

“Your mum’s interior designer? Craig? I know him. He’s- he’s got an in with me,” Louis looked up into Harry’s face.

Harry laughed heartily. “That’s amazing. You’re the sweetest person.”

Louis flushed slightly. “I want people to succeed.”

Harry kissed the top of his hair.

Louis phone rang and he groaned as the glared to the desk. “Fuck me.”

“It’s very soon after eating but if you insist,” Harry waggled his eyebrows and Louis laughed. “Do you have to get that?”

“I do,” Louis said grumpily. “I told them not to send any calls through unless they were an emergency.”

“Ah,” Harry nodded.

Louis stood up grudgingly and answered the phone on his desk. Someone began to berate him immediately and his face fell. He let the voice talk for half a minute before saying. “Yes, sir, I understand, give me one moment to grab that paper,” Louis lowered the phone and gave Harry an apologetic look. “I’m sorry to cut this short.”

“No worries at all,” Harry said softly and he kissed Louis’s forehead. “Call me later if you can, yeah?”

“I will,” Louis promised.

Harry was halfway to the door before Louis called out. “Wait- your journal!”

“Right!” Harry rushed back, grabbed it, and was off.

He walked back through the hungry eyes of Louis’s employees, waving to Louis’s sisters as he passed. He had wanted more time with Louis but he understood. Although he hadn’t asked Harry was sure this had to be about that parks. Louis was eager to truly prove himself and Harry understood. He suddenly felt incredibly juvenile in wanting to share with Louis the writing he’d been doing. But Louis had inspired it and he knew Louis wouldn’t laugh at him for it.

Harry heaved a heavy sigh before driving home.

__

Perrie and the girls were not there when he returned. Niall, however, was. Sitting perched on the front porch; he was strumming his guitar singing a tune he’d clearly written himself. Harry watched briefly as he worked out a few chords he couldn’t quite figure.

“What’s that?” Harry asked as he finally approached.

Niall looked up at him, guitar pick sat between his lips, and shrugged. “Something I started two weeks ago I thought I might pick up again. Your writing reminded me.”

“R-really?” Harry clutched his journal closer to his chest.

“Yeah! I mean- I’ve been thinking about what your parents said about you getting a job. And you’re writing again because you think you might like to do that, right? And I haven’t sent a demo to anyone in two months. Maybe it’s time I try to get a job as well,” Niall strummed absentmindedly.

“I’m proud of you,” Harry said. He ruffled Niall’s hair before moving to open the door. “You hungry?”

“Starving,” Niall hopped up immediately.

“Pizza?”

“I love you.”

__

Two hours later they were nestled on the sofa with the remnants of a pizza and halfway through the extended edition of the first Lord Of The Rings. Niall was snoring softly on Harry’s shoulder, a puddle of drool just forming on Harry’s sleeve.

Harry took out his phone and shot Louis a text.

_Everything all right?_

**Getting there.**

The reply came almost instantaneously.

**How’s your evening?**

_Louis-less :(_

**I’m sorry, love. I wish I could be there too. Been thinking about this afternoon all day.**

Harry bit his lip and his fingers moved before his brain decided it was a good idea.

_Oh yeah? Wish I could have sucked you off. Want to get my mouth on you again._

**Fuck. Want your mouth everywhere.**

It was a great idea, Harry’s brain decided.

_Mark you up- eat you out-_

**Christ. You’re killing me.**

_Soon?_

**I’d be there right now if I could.**

_Indisposed?_

**Work meeting.**

_This late? Who’s the exhibitionist now? Sexting in a meeting._

**Still you :P**

_Haha. You’re right._

_Can I see you tomorrow?_

**Fingers crossed I can swing dinner.**

_Looking forward to it._

Harry tucked his phone away and sighed at what could have been just as Frodo was resolving that he had to head to Mordor alone. Niall snuffled just as Sam decided that he would go with him and Harry kissed his forehead softly. Harry slid the pizza box gently with his toe and then reached for his journal. He cracked the spine and flipped to his marked page. But.

It was a list of very large numbers all with annotations.

Harry blinked and flipped to the page before- more numbers with a different heading. The page before that held a diagram of a space that Harry thought he recognized as the park he’d walked through the day before.

Standing so abruptly that Niall toppled over, Harry moved to turn on the nearest lamp. The interior cover confirmed this journal was not Harry’s. Louis was definitely remodeling all of the parks. He’d underbid the nearest competitor by a thousand pounds and had a green plan by the looks of it. Sustainable materials, better water irrigation, and more universal access were all part of the plan. There were innumerable diagrams and notes and the money was planned to the last pence.

Harry poured through every page. They grew more corrective as it went. Marginalia that rewrote what he’d previously decided until the pages were more notes than content and the red marks outweighed the blue. Somewhere along the way he’d misplaced 2,000 pounds it appeared he just couldn’t find. Harry reached for a pen and set to work.

__

The world came into focus in increments. The soreness in his back was low and throbbing which meant he’d fallen asleep not in his bed. The stale taste of pizza and unusually intense morning breath in his mouth meant he hadn’t brushed his teeth. The weight on his legs meant that Niall was still there.

Harry opened his eyes, blinking wearily at the Blu-Ray menu screen for The Two Towers. He took in his surroundings and tried to recall when exactly he’d passed out. At some point last night, Niall had crawled into his lap. There was a book draped over Niall’s face, an open pen had bled what looked like all of its contents into Niall’s shirt.

Rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands, Harry thought back. Louis. He wanted to have sex with Louis and instead he had Louis’s journal. Right. He’d stayed up until three in the morning reading and reorganizing all of Louis’s information into a chart and a more reasonable business strategy. And then. He must have fallen asleep. His eyes still hurt from the scrutiny of Louis’s work and the brightness of the lamp.

Niall rolled over and the journal fell off his face and onto the floor with a thump. Harry reached for it and trained his eyes gently to look at a paper he’d neatly tucked into it.

A number sat in the middle of the page, Harry had circled it at least nine times. It came flooding back. He’d found it. He’d found the money in the numbers that Louis had lost.

Louis. Shit.

Harry reached for his phone, pressing the circular button. It blinked defiantly to tell him the battery was exhausted. Harry lifted Niall, setting him on the couch gingerly, and bolted to his room. He plugged his phone in and jumped in the shower, scrubbing fiercely with the loofa to rid himself of the pizza smell.

Less than five minutes later he was out, toweling off his hair and reaching for the nearest shirt he could find. His phone buzzed insistently and constantly until it nearly fell off the nightstand.

17 unread messages from Louis and three phone calls. Apparently it had come to his attention as well that the journals had been switched.

Harry threw on a pair of shorts, grabbed his barely living cell and headed back downstairs. Journal in hand, he left Niall snoozing on the couch.

__

The phone’s ringing blared loudly in Harry’s car as he sped towards Louis’s office building.

Louis answered on the final ring, sounding exhausted and relieved. “Harry. Thank fucking Christ. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you all night- I handed you.”

“Your journal, I know, Lou. I’m so sorry. My phone died,” Harry explained calmly. “I’m bringing it back to you now. Where are you?”

There was a pause in which Harry wondered if Louis, too, had to assess his surroundings this morning.

“Office- I’m still in my office,” Louis muffled a yawn.

“I’ll be there in fifteen,” Harry said and he hung up the phone.

__

Harry was there right when he said he’d be, with a large cup of Yorkshire tea in one hand and the journal in the other. He barely managed to nod at Rosie as he bolted towards Louis’s office; carefully but hastily treading the path Louis had dragged him on just the day before.

Louis flung open the door just as Harry rounded the last corner and their eyes met.

Louis looked haggard and sleepy and rumpled. Harry wanted to scoop him up and hold him until he fell asleep. But that would have to wait.

“Did you bring me tea?” Louis eyed the cup hungrily.

“I found your money,” Harry answered.

Louis blinked in a rapid succession. “You- what?”

“I read your journal- I’m sorry-,” Harry walked closer and handed Louis the tea. “I lost track of time last night because I noticed that you’re missing money. That’s- that’s what’s been going on, right?”

Louis nodded minutely and Harry pressed on. “You had too many notes, Louis. They needed to be organized more clearly.” He opened the journal and showed Louis the paper with the circled number. This was one of several sheets Harry had written on to better organize Louis’s ideas. All of them held together the divided sections of Louis’s thoughts.

“Show me,” Louis said and Harry pushed past him into his office and sat down at the desk. Louis followed after, leaning beside Harry as he began to explain.

“You wrote these two too close together so the money allocation was off,” Harry unfolded all of his papers and gave Louis a clear map of the ideas.

Louis stood enraptured as Harry nimbly explained his original concepts back to him in a succinct way.

“I noticed also- because you’d confused the projects so deeply they’ve got nearly twelve overlapping materials. If you bought in bulk for both you’d save a few hundred dollars and you could get that more expensive jungle gym you’ve tapped here,” Harry flipped to a page split with a naturally larger gap due to the pasted image.

Louis’s eyes flicked across the pages before they came to rest on Harry. Harry turned to look at Louis and Louis kissed him. And then Louis was crying and Harry stood up to hold him.

Deep, embarrassing sobs wracked through Louis’s body as Harry held him closer. “It’s all right, Lou,” Harry said softly, rubbing circles on Louis’s back. It was then that Harry noticed he was wearing his shirt from yesterday. His whole outfit was the same from the looks of it. “Did you not go home?”

“No,” Louis blubbered and he cried even harder.

“I’m so sorry, Louis,” Harry apologized profusely. “I should have checked my phone- I should have-.”

“No,” Louis shook his head and pulled away from Harry. “I’ve been looking for two weeks and you found it in a matter of hours! I had Liam read and reread that book until he threw it in my face.”

“That’s not very nice of him,” Harry said.

“I can’t blame him,” Louis shook his head and there was a hesitant smile there. Harry kissed his forehead and Louis relaxed into him.

Harry hummed as he rocked Louis for a moment, taking in the lush green of the garden, the dark oak of Louis’s desk, and the soft feeling of the man in his arms.

“I am sorry that I read your journal without your permission,” Harry whispered.

“It’s all right- I read yours too,” Louis said into Harry’s chest.

Harry stopped moving completely. “You-you did?”

Louis hid his face further in Harry’s chest and nodded.

“What did you think?” Harry asked, voice sounded as detached as he could make it.

“In all honesty?” Louis lifted his head to meet Harry’s face.

“Honesty’s the best of all the policies I’ve been told,” Harry said and he braced himself.

Louis bit his lip and glanced at the ground. “It’s- it’s kind of awful, Harry.”

Harry blinked at Louis. “Awful?”

“Awful’s maybe too harsh…” Louis said quickly. “Lackluster? It’s-.”

Harry took a half step back to look at Louis properly. “I’m not very good at it-? Is what you’re saying.”

“It just seems like your heart’s not in it,” Louis explained and he finally met Harry’s eyes. “Like you’re writing because it’s something that will anger your parents and not particularly because you want to. It’s mechanical- and repetitive.”

Harry considered this for a minute. Had he been writing just to anger his parents? Specifically his father. He knew that he loved literature and reading and the entire time he’d wanted to feel more a part of it than he was. Writing seemed the best way to do that. But he’d not written in over and year and he could not genuinely remember missing it. Niall worked on his music every day. It was his passion. Maybe it was silly to compare but Harry didn’t feel that way, at least he didn’t think, about writing.

The silence in the room was palpable as Harry realized he’d been staring at a space somewhere behind Louis’s head. Louis didn’t exactly look frightened but he certainly didn’t look comfortable.

“Harry-,” Louis spoke hesitantly.

“You’re right,” Harry said and Louis visibly relaxed. “I think once or twice- there were moments in there I really felt it. But for the most part.”

“I remember those moments,” Louis agreed. “That poem about your sister- and that boy you had a crush on in your choir class.”

“Yeah,” Harry nodded. “Those would be them.”

Harry frowned deeply and then laughed. He laughed deep in his stomach, body shaking with it until. He had to grip the edge of the desk. Louis joined in, although his was a higher giggle, which sounded fatigued.

“I honestly had more fun reworking your business strategy last night than I’d had in writing anything in a long time,” Harry confessed and Louis looked at Harry with an unreadable expression. Perhaps it was awe or admiration, like Harry was the answer to a pray he himself had known he’d prayed.

“I’ll hire you,” Louis said.

Harry laughed again but stopped when Louis did not join him. “You can’t be-.”

“I’m serious,” Louis insisted. “My brain for business only got me this far-.”

“That’s pretty far, Louis,” Harry gestured to the scale of Louis’s office alone.

“It is- and I’m proud- but you’re another level- you’ve got a degree and the skill,” Louis’s excitement emanated from him like a warm ray of sunshine.

“We’d make a pretty good team,” Harry supposed.

“We’d make the best team,” Louis corrected.

“The dream team,” they said in a scary unison and dissolved into giggles once more.

“Are you offering me a job then?” Harry asked.

Louis stuck out his hand to shake, Harry shook it and Louis pulled him into a kiss.

__

After a hearty breakfast, a three-hour nap, and a marathon shag; Harry was wrapped in Louis’s arms in Louis' bed. It felt so natural and comfortable that Harry could cry.

“I’m worried,” Harry told Louis and he felt Louis’s arms tighten around him. “About disappointing-.” He trailed off.

Louis lips pressed against the back of his neck. “I’m sure everyone will be happy to have you around at work- and- I- really like doing this with you and- you’re-.”

Harry turned in his arms so they were facing one another. “You’re very sweet but that’s not what I meant.” He kissed Louis once, twice. And then closed his eyes. “I’m glad that no one will mind I’m dating the boss.”

“Then who are we disappointing?” Louis asked. “Not your parents- surely?”

“Niall,” Harry said.

“Oh,” Louis answered, at a loss of what to say. Harry then realized all the implications of what he’d just said.

“I think he wanted me to be a writer. He was pulling for me to be like him- a rogue- that broke the mold of our University education. But I’m not-,” Harry frowned and Louis kissed his nose. “Truth is- I’m ridiculously excited to work on this parks project with you.”

“Maybe it’s because you get to work with me and you just like my bum in those slacks,” Louis said.

“That’s definitely a bonus,” Harry agreed.

“Maybe you’d just not found the right business- maybe they’d not presented the right problems for you,” Louis shrugged and Harry smiled at him.

“Not my passion,” Harry said.

“Right,” Louis smirked.

“Or should I say p-ass-sion,” Harry waggled his eyebrows and grabbed Louis’s bum.

Louis guffawed. “That was the worst pun I’ve ever heard.”

“You weren’t complaining twenty minutes ago,” Harry started kissing Louis’s collarbone, ticking his fingers down his spine.

Louis shivered and pulled Harry on top of him.

__

“Niall?” Harry called as he opened his front door around four o’clock later that day.

“Harry,” Niall answered, his voice trailing in from the living room.

Harry found him there, pen stained shirt still on, with yet another pizza and a beer for each hand. “How are you?”

“Good, and you?” Niall asked, sipping from his right hand beer.

“I’m kind of amazing,” Harry said beside him and grabbed a slice of pizza.

Niall beamed at him. “Everything work out then? With Louis and the journal?”

“How’d you-,” Harry’s brows furrowed. He’d not corresponded with Niall all day. Feeling quiet guilty, actually, for leaving him there all alone.

“Last night I woke up for long enough to see you working on some serious math. I noticed that book wasn’t yours- figured it must be Louis’s because of that drawing of the park- and went back to sleep,” Niall shrugged.

“Well you’re very observant,” Harry said.

Niall nodded and sipped from his other beer.

“He give you a job?” Niall asked.

“Well- yeah-,” Harry looked befuddled by the question.

“Ay ay, perfect, mate!” Niall set down one of his beers to clap Harry on the knee. “I’m so proud of you.”

“You are? I thought you’d be angry,” Harry said, more and more confused.

“Why? Because you’re not writing?” Niall asked.

“Well- yeah!” Harry said with more certainty.

“Nah,” Niall shook his head. “You never had to follow my type of path. I just wanted you to pick your own. And if writing was it then so be it. But your heart was never really in it, mate. I think you just wanted to stick it to your old man. You always liked business. You just needed to find your own way. You couldn’t work for your dad- or Josh’s mum- or anything like that. ”

“Are you a psychic fortune teller or something?” Harry looked at Niall as if seeing him for the first time.

Niall laughed and shook his head. “I wish. Can you imagine? No. I got the Louis stuff talking to that Liam bloke. He said they needed a business manager something awful and I knew you could figure out the problem. You’re a good fixer.”

“Niall,” Harry said.

“Harry,” Niall grinned.

“You should have said! Earlier! Way earlier!” Harry hit Niall with a pillow.

Niall collapsed into the sofa in a fit of giggles, holding his beer aloft.

“But this was way more fun,” Niall said and Harry hit him again.

__

Harry’s parents were pleasantly surprised at the end of their summer to find their house exactly as they’d always imaged it. Designed perfectly from the binder they’d left. They were even more surprised to find their son had moved out of their house and into his boyfriend's place. Especially since they'd only been together for three months. 

Upon reviewing the final renovations with Craig the interior designer Harry’s mother remarked, “You’re a genius.”

Craig waved his hand and grinned. “I’m just a great match maker.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from Gold In The Air OF Summer by Kings of Convenience  
> Imagine Niall wrote that about Harry and Louis at the end of the fic. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it <3  
> This will probably be the last Harry/Louis fic I ever work on really.  
> It's been fun <3  
> -Beanie


End file.
